The City of Ralor
by Mrs.JohnnyCade220
Summary: When a man going by the name of Bay Jackson finds himself in an evil sorcerer's twisted game, it's up to him to win it for the world.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. That's all I saw the moment I stepped into the woods. The warmth of the fire in my small cottage was gone, now replaced with the bitter chill of the wind that sliced through the trees. I barely noticed though, with my heart pumping hot blood through my veins at an alarming rate. Fear of fate was a feeling I had never once endured, never thought I would have to, yet now I was running, and everyone knows that fate is something that can not be outrun.

Upon leaving my home, I had managed to grab two things – my hunting jacket and my rifle. Thankfully the rifle was loaded, but I didn't have on me any more ammo. I would have to chose my targets very carefully.

My feet were running before my brain had even told them to. It was an action driven by fear. I could just barely see the objects around me, the trees obstructing my path, but somehow I managed to dodge them with perfect accuracy. I was seeing and hearing and feeling, but I didn't notice at all. The only thought on my mind was that I had to run, had to get as far away from this place as possible, before it was too late.

When I felt like I was far enough away, I stopped to get my bearings. I stood there, doubled over and panting to catch my breath, and waited for something to happen. It wasn't the darkness or the feeling that I was completely alone that was so frightening, but the knowledge that I _wasn't_ alone, that there were eyes everywhere.

I finally managed to stand up and shake off the feeling, stretching my arms and legs. Slowly but surely, my ability to react on thoughts instead of mere instinct was coming back. Along with that came the memories. Thirty days. I had thirty days to get to the city of Ralor "or else". I had no idea what came under the title "or else", but I didn't plan on finding out.

Under normal circumstances it wouldn't be hard to get to Ralor. It might have taken ten days tops. That wasn't the case now. It was all a game, one of Zarek's evil, twisted, horrid games. And his games were hardly ever won.

Before I could even devise a plan, I heard a loud noise coming from a few miles behind me. As I turned, I could just barely see the cloud of smoke and dust rising beyond the trees. Red hot flames danced in the distance. It was clear as day what had happened. With my home destroyed, I couldn't back out now. There was only one way to go – towards the city of Ralor.


	2. Chapter 2

I can't remember how long I was running for. There was no way to tell. I didn't have a watch on me, and last time I checked there weren't any clocks in the middle of the woods. I knew how to tell time based on the position of the sun, but that didn't really help me in the middle of the night.

By the time I was completely worn out, the sky was laced with a deep blue velvet and the stars were starting to fade. The sun would be coming up shortly and I hadn't even had a wink of sleep yet. I needed to find a place to crash.

Slowing my pace to a saunter, I trudged over logs and fallen trees. There had to be a safe place I could rest around here somewhere. Off to my right was a spot that looked comfortable. There was a log lying on the ground, with another that had fallen the opposite way on top of it. If I sat under it just right, it could make some sort of a chair. At this point I wasn't exactly picky about where I would be sleeping.

Thankfully, as the sun drew closer, so did its warmth. It wasn't until then that I realized I was shivering and my skin seemed to glow with an eerie blue tint. I sat down against the log and pulled my jacket up over my head, hoping to shield my face from the wind.

I couldn't have been asleep for more than five minutes before I awakened with a jolt. Immediately I could tell that I wasn't alone. Slowly, I reached up and pulled the jacket down just enough so that I could see. I was in broad daylight now, easily vulnerable to any threats. At first, I couldn't see anyone there, but the hair standing up on the back of my neck told me otherwise.

I hesitantly pushed myself up and looked around. It was quiet – almost too quiet. Before I could reach for my gun, I was knocked onto the ground. There was something heavy jabbing me right between my shoulder blades, most likely someone's foot. I couldn't have spoken if I wanted to, due to a mixture of fear and the fact that my lungs were being compressed.

"Who are you?" asked a voice that seemed almost too sweet to be hurting me. I couldn't respond, so instead I just flailed my arms at my sides, hoping she'd get the message.

After a moment, I was released and took one of the largest breaths I'd ever taken, weakly standing up to get a look at the person who had pinned me. She was tall and thin with dark, serious eyes. If I had seen her on the street, I would think her to be harmless. Seeing her now, there was a sinister air about her.

"Who are you?" she repeated, taking a step closer. She was only a few inches shorter than me, but the way she glared up at me made me quiver. I opened my mouth to say something, yet I couldn't force anything out but a nervous squeak. "Alright, I see how it is," she said sternly.

In a split second, she had managed to pin my wrists behind my back and push me to the ground again. I could have sworn that I heard her chuckle. Once I could feel her knees pressing into my arms, I knew that there was no way I was getting up.

"Now," she taunted, "Tell me who you are and who sent you, and maybe I'll let you go." Who sent me? I had sent myself.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled, cheek squished to the ground.

"Oh?" There was a pause before her grip tightened. She was awfully strong for a woman.

"Honestly!" I protested. "I have no idea what you mean! I'm Bay! Bay Jackson. I'm heading to the city of Ralor."

"Ralor?" she asked before letting out a laugh. "You've got to be kidding me. No one makes it to Ralor through this forest in one piece. It's just not possible."

I turned my head as much as I could to see her face. "Well, possible or not, I have to try. I have near thirty days to get to the city before something terrible happens."

"Like what?" she asked, slacking off a little.

"I have no idea, but I've been warned many times that it isn't something I want."

She simply nodded and stood up, leaving me on the ground. "Well, I can't help you there. I'd suggest that you don't go this way, though, unless you want to be killed right away."

That didn't sound like something I wanted. "You know that way, don't you?" I inquired.

"Sure I do."

"Could you take me?"

"There's no way in hell that I would take you there. I barely even know you."

I stood up and brushed myself off, looking at her with pleading eyes. "Please? Without you I'd be completely lost. There's no way I'd make it in thirty days."

"You've got that right," she retorted, beginning to walk away. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Listen. When I get to Ralor, I will have won the game. That's what this is, a game. I don't know how it's considered a game, or by who's standards it is, but that's what it is. And every game has a prize. If I win, I'll receive an astounding prize. I'll share it with you. That is, if you take me there."

By the look on her face I could tell that she was interested. The expression quickly turned sour, however. "How do I know that you're not lying? Toying with me? This may all be a trick."

"It's not." I had no idea how to persuade her, to tell her that my home had been destroyed and I had nothing left. She was my only hope.

I flinched as she extended a hand to me, half expecting her to strike a blow. "Fine. If I take you to Ralor, you'll share with me _half _of your earnings. Deal?" Half seemed like a lot, but there was a lot more at stake if I didn't agree.

I took her hand and smiled. "Deal."

With that, I was on my way to Ralor.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't think the majority of that day could have been any more awkward. The girl walked a few feet in front of me, "accidentally" letting branches fly back at my face. By the time we stopped, my neck and cheeks were sullied with scrapes.

I followed as she stepped out into a clearing. In front of us stood an old-looking stone structure, a ruin of some sort. Only part of it looked safe enough to go into. "Come on," she said, motioning for me to follow her inside. There wasn't a door, just a crack in the stone that was wide enough for a person to slide through.

The inside of the establishment looked a lot more welcoming than the outside. There was a fireplace in the corner with a bright flames still flickering, and a straw mat near it. On the opposite wall was something that resembled a kitchen. It had a tap for running water, a cabinet, and a few other small compartments that I was unsure of what purpose they served.

"This is where you live?" I asked, subconsciously taking a step closer to the fire. It was a lot shabbier than what I was used to, but anything was better than being outside in the freezing cold. Every day seemed to draw closer to promising snow.

"Yes," she said, moving to grab something from the kitchen counter. I barely noticed what she was doing. I sat down on the ground and slid myself up by the fire, holding my hands out in front of me. It felt amazing on my numb fingers.

A few moments later she came to put something on the fire. There was a small shelf built up over it that could hold pots and pans, most likely meant for cooking or boiling water. She set a pot of coffee on it and sat back on her heels.

"So, what's your name?" I asked curiously. She hadn't even told me. How was I to know if I could trust her?

"Loria."

"And your last name?"

"You'll just have to wait and see. Now, let's hear more about you, Bay Jackson."

I stretched my legs out in front of me and propped myself up with my elbows, thinking. What was there to tell about me? "Well," I started, running my fingers through my hair, "My name is Bay Jackson. I'm eighteen years old. I would like to call myself an adventurer."

She laughed and sat up, looking me over. "An adventurer? You? Please, I doubt you could find your way out of a paper bag."

"It's true," I added, barely stifling a chuckle. "I used to go on tons of adventures. None this wild, however."

"It's only going to get even more wild," she said, going back over to the kitchen. A few short moments later, she came back with two mugs. I took mine and looked into it, wiping away a small bug with my thumb. "I hope you don't mind your coffee black," she said, picking up the pot. "I can't afford to buy any cream or sugar, and it takes far too much time to travel to the market."

I gratefully held out my mug, watching as she poured the dark liquid. I breathed the aroma through my nose as I raised it to my lips. It smelled sweet and warm. With little regard for the scalding heat, I took a large sip. It tasted even better than it smelled, warming my mouth and throat.

It was gone in a matter of seconds. There was a strong sense of relief that filled me. I was finally content, with a comfortably warm feeling rising in my chest. "Thank you," I said, lying down.

She stood up and grabbed a few small logs that had been lying around, tossing them into the fire. It quickly swallowed them up in flames. "Why don't you sleep?" she asked, her voice filled with compassion for a short moment. "If we leave now we won't be able to get very far before sunset, plus you need your energy if we're going to get a good start. I'll wake you in the morning."

Despite the coffee, I _was_ extremely tired. I didn't have the energy to respond, crawling onto the straw mat. The next thing I knew, I was being blinded by the sunlight that flowed like a river through the broken stone walls.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time the sun had risen above the horizon, Loria and I were sitting by the fire with everything we needed for our travels. I had my gun slung across my back, and in her hands she had the backpack filled with our basic necessities.

"First aid kit?" I asked.

"Check," she replied.

"Enough food to last us a while?"

"Got it."

"Well, what else is in there?"

She gave an exasperated sigh before rifling through the bag again. "I don't know, Bay. We've been through this five times already. We have everything we need."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm _sure_." She sounded rather annoyed now, probably from her lack of sleep. I, on the other hand, had slept like a baby.

After we had gone through our materials a few more times and had as much coffee as we could hold, it was time to venture out.

"Ready?" Loria asked, pulling on the backpack and standing by the opening in the rock.

"As I'll ever be," I responded meekly. I watched as she turned to the side, slipping through the crack with ease. I followed close behind, though not as skillfully, due to being a bit taller and broader.

I can tell you one thing for sure – I hadn't missed the wind at all. It was blowing with more force than the day before, with a chill that cut right through you. I just knew that we were going to get snow one of these days. That definitely wouldn't help us on our journey.

As usual, Loria walked a few feet in front of me. We didn't talk for quite a long time. The sun was already high in the sky by the time I mustered up enough courage to say something. "Thanks for showing me the way," was the only thing I could come up with at the moment.

She just looked back at me, brown eyes seeming to search my soul, before staring ahead again. "I'm only doing it for the reward. As soon as we reach Ralor, you're on your own," was her response.

That was fine by me. I wasn't looking for a friend. I just needed someone to take me where I needed to go. I only wished that the person that I found were a bit more personable.

* * *

I should have known. I should have known that Zarek would do everything in his power to make this trip hard. He would do everything that he could to make it the most painful, troublesome, difficult thing I had ever done. I should have known the second that I saw him.

When Loria and I stepped into the clearing, I knew something was wrong before I had even laid eyes on him. Sure enough, there he was. He was standing coolly by the river that ran through this part of the woods, watching us with deep purple eyes. "Hello there," came his creepy and smooth voice. His tone wasn't alarming or loud. He seemed as calm as he could be; that's what frightened me.

"What do you want, Zarek?" I asked, trying to keep my cool. I knew that he was up to something. I stepped in front of Loria, who looked just as confused as I felt, just in case he tried to pull anything.

"Why, I simply came to check on my favorite game piece." Game piece? What was this, chess?

"What do you mean?" I barked.

"You know exactly what I mean. This little game that we're playing? No? Let me refresh your memory." Before I could protest, he had disappeared and reappeared only a few feet in front of us. "As of right now, you have twenty nine days to get to the capital city, Ralor. I will meet you there. But don't get me wrong, I'll most certainly be checking in on you to see how you've been doing throughout your journey." He let out an airy laugh.

I balled my fists, glaring at him. I'd never _asked_ to be a part of this game, and I certainly didn't want to play.

"Now, let's see. I'd say that you've just made your move by choosing this girl as your guide. Good job. But now it's my turn." He held a hand out and snapped his fingers. I didn't have time to question this motion before he spoke again. "Good luck." With that, he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

What had he meant by all of that? He was acting like this was a real game, like there were actual turns involved. Or maybe that _was_ how it was supposed to be?

That's when I felt the repetitive, hot wind at my back. Hot? No, it was freezing outside. How could the wind be hot? That's when the realization hit me. It wasn't the wind at all, but a _breath_.

Loria and I both turned around at the same time. I was met with my reflection in the glassy, golden eye of a giant beast. So now dragons were Zarek's idea of a fair turn in the game?

What had I gotten myself into?


End file.
